This invention relates to photosensitive elements and particularly to photosensitive elements based on copper halides. Still more particularly, this invention relates to a method of developing copper halide photosensitive elements by light without the need for liquid processing solutions. Even more particularly, this invention relates to dry processable photosensitive copper halide elements with improved image quality and shelf-life.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,904,576, prior art is mentioned which bears on the use of copper halide as a photosensitive media. Most of those prior art elements are believed inferior to the invention described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,904,576. Indeed, most of such prior art including U.S. Pat. No. 4,904,576 require that some sort of processing fluid be employed to get a high quality, long-lasting image from the exposed copper halide element. Thus, with today's emphasis on the environment, there is an ever-pressing need to prepare photosensitive elements that do not require processing fluids to develop the images formed thereon. There is also a need to prepare suitable images that can be dry-processed and still possess high image quality and long shelf-life.